There are many ways that we express love to those who are close to us, but each of us has a primary LoveLanguage.

Gary Chapman in his book Love Languages shares the five different LoveLanguages as …

1. Physical Touch

2. Quality Time

3. Receiving Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Words of Affirmation

While there are five different LoveLanguages, discovering the primary LoveLanguage of those who are closest to us, allows us to express our love to them in ways that they can truly feel.

Yesterday I shared that our son’s LoveLanguage is Quality Time. Jacob’s “love tank” is filled quickly and effectively by us spending time with him. He “knows” that we love him when we have been together.

Our daughter, Kelsey, on the other hand has Acts of Service as her primary LoveLanguage. While she of course enjoys quality time with us, her “love tank” is filled when she receives a special act of service from us.

If your loved ones primary LoveLanguage is Acts of Service, nothing speaks as loudly as those Acts of Service. They are able to hear and appreciate your Words of Affirmation and they may enjoy Receiving Gifts you purchase … for them, actions truly speak louder than words.

So … how can you express your love through Acts of Service?

Kelsey is a gymnast and has practice five days a week. One of the very simple, but practical ways I serve her is by making her a special snack to eat before her practice so that she doesn’t have to make it herself.

An Act of Service doesn’t have to be huge to be appreciated. Because Acts of Service is their primary LoveLanguage, your loved one is able to spot your service from a mile away and it clearly communicates to them that you love them. As you thoughtfully serve them, their “love tank” is filled.

Chapman says, “Jesus gave a simple but profound illustration of expressing love by an act of service when He washed the feet of His disciples. In a culture where people wore sandals and walked on dirt streets, it was customary for the servant of the house to wash the feet of guests as they arrived.”

As we love those members in our family who speak the primary LoveLanguage of Acts of Service, we find ourselves doing acts of service to adequately express our love to them.